Head for golf clubs



Nov. 6, 1928. 1,690,388 F. A. WALDRON HEAD FOR GOLF CLUBS Filed May 16,1927 Patented Nov. 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES FREDERICK A. WALDRON, F WES'IFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

HEAD FOR GOLF CLUBS,

Application filed May 16,

The present invention relates to heads for golf clubs, and is moreparticularly directed toward an improved golf club head made of metal orother heavy material. Itis more particularly suitable in providing animproved driver, brassie, or spoon.

. The object of the driver in the game of golf is to give. distance anddirection to the ball when struck by the club. Heretofore the design andmethod of construction of the driver has required it to be made out oftough wood, weighted bythe insertion of lead or other metals at variouspoints to improve the balance, and provided with contact surfaces in themost effective positions.

Some clubs have a striking face of the harder woods cemented to the headof the club. Recently hollow aluminum club heads have been devised, butthese, however, have not provided a support directly back of the contactpoint of the club and the ball, thereby reducing. the effect of theimpact. The

.critical area, or sweet spot, which is the area'of a circle an inch indiameter or the equivalent, circumscribed around apomt located at thecenter of the striking face of the club, would the blow.

The development of golf club design has heretofore been alongconventional and tragive slightly under the force of ditional lines. Theconfiguration of the club head was developed by experience and suchrules of thumb as were available, retaining the form and appearance,without taking in to consideration or appreciating the aerodynamicsnvolved, Total mass and angle of club face were the controlling featuresand such matters aslateral and longitudinal stability during the swingor at the time of contact were ignored. y

The present invention contemplates a one piece club head (such as adriver, brassie, or spoon), which is constructed by placing thedominating weight of the club in one solid and continuous mass with itsmaximum depth directly back of the critical area, or sweet spot. Thisone piece club head has a striking face, and a hub for attaching theshaft shank and is provided with later ally extending flanges to improvethe iongitudinal stability. With this design the maximum results areobtained when the ball is struck within the critical area, or sweetspot. This is due to the stabilizing effect of the flanges and thegreater reaction given 1927. Serial No. 191,561.

the ball, resulting in a correspondingly greater distance in the desireddirection. By using metal or other material heavier than wood and beingable to retain the same weight as a wood club, air resistance is alsoreduced.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear as thedescription proceeds.

The accompanying drawings show, for purposes of illustratingtheinvention, one of the many possible embodiments in which the inventionmay take form, it being understood, that the drawingsare illustrative ofthe invention rather than limiting the same.

In these drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view of the golf club head made up as a driver;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevational View; and

Figure 4 is a front elevational view look- 1ingdtoward the strikingfaceof the club 163. V

The club head designated in the drawing by the letter H, is preferablymade of a single casting of an alloy of aluminum having the desiredproperties such as hardness, resistance to shock, etc. It may, however,be made of a suitable phenol-condensation product.

The striking face of the club head isindicated at with the center of thesweet spot designated at 0. It is of the usual configurabe milled to anydesired curvature and angle of loft. The club head is also provided withsuitable means for guiding and steadying it vertically on the downwardswing so as to afford greater longitudinal stability at the time ofcontact. In a driver: this means may conveniently be produced by formingintegral flanges 13 and 14- to provide wings or fins which extendlaterally from the lower portion 12 of the club. These wings or finsextend to each side of thestriking face so as to be directly in the airstream, and at the terrific speed attained at the latter part of theswing materially stabilize the club. The lower surface of the clubpermits a constant address to the ball.

The mass of material is concentrated directly back of the critical area,or sweet spot, as indicated at so as to materially reinforce .thestriking area. The air passing by the ends of the striking face passesabove the upper surface of the flanges 13 and 14. It impingesuponzdefiecting surfaces 13 .and 14' which change its course, therebyproducing a force component at right angles tothc direction of motionand opposite to the digging in tendency common in wood clubs broughtabout by the aeronautical lift produced in such clubs owing to partialvacuum above theupper rear surface thereof.

In order to improve the lateral stability of the club during the swing,I have provided an integral, thin rudder, or fin 15 which projects abovethe top face of the club and forms a guide during the downward swing.This [rudder or vane is preferably placed with its trailing edge to oneside of a line drawn perpendicular to the face of the club, a distanceequal to the versed sineofthe angle formed by .the radius of the swingasa base and the distance from the face of the club to the end of the wingas the perpendicular. In Figure 1, the are of swing is indicated by theare 16, the radius by the line '17 which makes anang'le 18 with thetrailin e g "e of the vane. In practice this offset will be about 0.05inches on a wing-1.5 inches long.

This golf club headmay be made in one solid Piece out of anysuita'blematerial whose specific gravity is greater than the heaviest wood tohave the same weight as the usual 'wooden head (loaded if necessary),asthe same reaction on the player. The weight and balance may be mostaccurately predetermined, b t, on account of the lowering of airresistance and the concentration of the mass behind the striking*face,'greater striking force may be obtained,,resulting"in increaseddistance and greater accuracy of direction.

It'is obviousthat the inventionmay be embodied inmany forms andconstructions, and .Iwish it to be understood thatthe particular formshown is but one of the-many forms.

Various modifications-and changes being possihle, I do not limitmyselfin any way with respect thereto. I

It is of. course understood that .the shape of the club head maybesuitably varied when making up brassies andspoons.

What is claimed is:

1. A olf c'lub'headfor drivers, brassies,

and the ike, comprising a solid un'itarymemher having a solid mass ofmaterial concen- 'tra'ted directly hack of the center ofthe criticalarea or-sweet spot of the face of the club head, the face extending asubstantial distance to each slide of the critical area, a bottom flangeextendingtrcarwardly from the face and directly united at its centerwith the concentrated mass of metal back .of the sweet spot, the bottomflange bein wider than the striking face to facilitate ongituas welldinally stabilizing the club, and provisions for attaching the club headto a club handle or shaft.

'2. A golf club head for drivers, brassies, andthe like, comprising aher having its principal weight concentrated directlyiback of the centerof the critical area or sweet spot of the face of the club head, a flane extending rearwardly from the face, said flange having inclinedsurfaces against which the air stream passing over the flange impingesto produce forces tending to oppose the tendency of the club head to digin, and provisions for attaching the club head to a club handle orshaft.

3. A olf club head for drivers, brassies, and the like, comprising asolid unitary member having its principal weight concentrated directlyback of the center of the critical area or sweet spot'of the face of theclub head, the face extending a substantial distance to each side of thecritical area and'being integral with a rearwardly extending flange, theflange extending laterally beyond the club face for the purpose oflongitudinally stabilizing and guiding the club during the downwardswing, and club head toa clu handle or shaft.

4;. A golf club head for drivers, brassies, and the like, comprising asolid unitary member having its principal wei ht concentrated directlyback of the center of the critical area or sweet spot of the face of theclubhead, a substantially vertical vane or fin carried at the upper rearportion of 'the club head, and provisions for attaching the club headfor laterally stabilizing the club during the downward swing to a clubhandleor'shaft.

5. A golf club head for drivers, brassies, and the like. comprising asolid unitary member having its directly back of the center of thecritical area or sweet spot a vane or guide at the upper rear portion ofthe club head, and provisions for attaching the club head to a clubhandle or shaft, the trailing edge of the vane being off center adistancesubstantiallyequal to the versed sine of the angle formed by theradius of the swing as a base and the distance from the face of the clubto the end of the wing as the perpendicular.

6. A golf club head for drivers, brassies, and the like, comprisingasolid unitary memher having its principal weightconcentrated directlyback ofthe center of the criticalarea or sweet spot ofthe face of theclub head, the face extending a substantial distance to each side of thecritical area and being integrail with a rearwardly extendinglongitudinally stabilizing flange projecting either side of the strikingface, a substantiallyvertical vane or fin projecting above the strikingface and carried at the upper rear portion of the club head forlaterally stabilizing the club solid unitary memprovisions for attachingthe principal weight concentrated of the face of the club head,

during the downward swing, and provisions for attaching the club head toa club handle or shaft.

7. A golf club head for drivers, brassies, and the like, comprising asolid unitary memher having its principal Wei ht concentrated directlyback of the center 0 the critical area or sweet spot of the face of theclub head, a vane or guide at the upper rear portion of the club head,and provisions for attaching the club head to a club handle or shaft,the trailing edge of the vane being displaced from the center a slightamount toward the club handle.

8. A golf club head for drivers, brassies or 15 the like, having astriking face and a rearward extension rojecting either side of thestriking face wiich is provided with upwardly inclined surfaces againstwhich the air stream impinges to produce forces tending to oppose thetendency of the club head to dig in.

FREDERICK A. WALDRON.

